The Friends for Life conference offers many wonderful opportunities for socializing, whether they are scheduled events or spur-of-the-moment gatherings. Please make note of the following, which are the structured events that we've planned for each day. If a ticket is required, it is noted by the event. These are listed chronologically:

Tuesday, July 22nd

Volunteers Reception
Tuesday evening, July 10, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Prefunction Terrace by the pool, we will be saying 'Thank you in advance!' to our many volunteers for the conference. Stop by and meet volunteer coordinators, get your volunteer assignment, pick up your volunteer shirt, and stay for snacks and beverages. Then ... head off to the pool. The conference starts tomorrow! The Volunteers Reception is sponsored by Insulet Corporation.

Wednesday, July 23rd

Young Adults Breakfast
Young adults (18+) with diabetes are invited to join Nicole Johnson for a casual breakfast in the Wedgwood Ballroom from 9-10:30 am.

Grandparents Welcome Coffee
This year, we are expecting more grandparents than ever before to attend Friends for Life! Join us for coffee and light snacks, and come meet other grandparents from all over the world! 11:00-12:00 in Wedgwood.

International Reception
We are so happy each year to welcome dozens of families from all over the world to Friends for Life. If you are one of our international participants, please come (with your whole family) to meet other families, learn how to 'do' this conference, and make friends before the conference even starts! 1:00-2:00 p.m. in Wedgwood, sponsored by LifeScan.

First-Timers Reception
My, there are a lot of people at this conference! This is a little scary! How will we ever meet anyone? Come to the First-Timers Reception in Crystal Ballroom C-D-E, sponsored by Sanofi-Aventis, on Wednesday from 3:00 - 4:30 to meet Jeff Hitchcock and Laura Billetdeaux, and hundreds of other family members who are new to CWD conferences. Learn about 'the flow' of the conference, how meal and snack times work, what to do about getting your children to childcare and sessions, and what to do at the park on Saturday. This is very casual and social. Snacks and beverages will be served. If you are new to CWD conferences, please don't miss this! If you are a First Timer CWD Teen, please come to the Teen reception (same time) in the Wedgwood Ballroom. This is just for teens.

Young Adults Reception
Wednesday afternoon from 1:00-2:30 in Anemone, come meet other young adults (ages 18-25) who have come from around the country and across the ocean to participate in Friends for Life! Enjoy the refreshments and make some new friends! Sponsored by Bayer HealthCare.

Grand Opening Reception
Six o'clock sharp! Be at the Exhibit Hall – Oceans Ballroom 1-8 - for the ribbon-cutting and a quick Welcome Hello from our Roche Diagnostics friends who are sponsoring this gala evening. The exhibit hall will be packed, and there will be tons of goodies and food. This is a fun evening for your entire family - don't miss it!

Thursday, July 24th

Wake-Up Workout with Harold!
Start off the day with warm-up aerobics by Harold Sanco (otherwise known as Human Caffeine)! This 30 minute indoor –- and air conditioned -- workout will be held in the Wedgwood Ballroom at 7 a.m. sharp! This activity is for children of all ages, including parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents! Honestly, it's not difficult. Come join us and begin the day on the right foot! Breakfast will follow immediately.

Family and Friends Banquet
Join us Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Crystal Ballroom for a fabulous buffet dinner and some entertainment you will never forget. Tickets are required. The Family and Friends Banquet is sponsored by Novo Nordisk and LifeScan.

Singin' and Dancin'
Join your CWD friends in the Crystal Ballroom from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. for great fun with a Disney DJ – DJ Miles (for those who remember last year's event! ! (this is the same place as the Banquet - you don't even need to move!). This is a continuation of the Banquet evening sponsored by LifeScan and Novo Nordisk, however, you do not need a special ticket to join us at 8:30 if you have opted not to come to the banquet.

Scavenger Hunt
Back this year in a little different format! Kids ages 6-12 will participate in a Scavenger Hunt in the Exhibit Hall Thursday and Friday during their session times. They will be divided into small groups and will be given a good-sized list of fun questions to answer ... and they will then visit different exhibitors to learn information about diabetes.

Thursday Teen Pool Party
After the Banquet ends at 8:30, change into your swimsuit and join other teens at the grassy area by the pool for a teens-only evening from 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. The grassy area is Home Base, and snacks will be served later in the evening. See you there!

Friday, July 25th

Wake-Up Workout with Harold!
Start off the day with warm-up aerobics by Harold Sanco (otherwise known as Human Caffeine)! This 30 minute indoor –- and air conditioned -- workout will be held in the Wedgwood Ballroom at 7 a.m. sharp! This activity is for children of all ages, including parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents! Honestly, it's not difficult. Come join us and begin the day on the right foot! Breakfast will follow immediately.

Teen Day at Islands of Adventure
Sponsored by Sanofi-Aventis, this very special Teen Day on Friday is for kids age 13-18 who have participated in all four conference sessions on Thursday. We are very strict about this. Teens will have breakfast at the hotel on Friday morning, then board a Mears bus to Islands of Adventure at 8:45 a.m. The Sanofi Aventis sponsorship generously covers transportation, admission to the park, and lunch. Teens should bring spending money for other things if they wish. CWD Teen Coordinator Natalie Bellini will lead this outing, and will be supported by plenty of adult staff and volunteers.

Tween Night
This is a very fun evening of karaoke, music, and games on Friday in the Coral Ballroom, sponsored by LifeScan. The entertainment begins right at 8:00 p.m. and ends at 11:00. There will be an ice cream sundae bar at 9:30. Wear your tennies, just in case!

Teen Dinner Dance
From 8:00 p.m. to midnight on Friday, all teens (ages 13 and over) are invited to dress up and come on down to the Wedgwood Ballroom to have dinner (right at 8:00) and dance the night away! CWD Teen Nikki Lang will perform a set of her wonderful music right after dinner, and a DJ will spin the tunes for the rest of the evening. An ice cream sundae bar will be provided at 10 p.m. This is a 'dressy' event - please no shorts, jeans, or cut-offs! Sponsored by Bayer HealthCare.

Young Adult Dinner and Salsa Dancing
The young adult group is invited to have dinner at the hotel Crystal Ballroom A-C at 8 p.m. After dinner, join in the fun with a Latin music DJ and dance instructor! Please RSVP to Laura Billetdeaux (laura.billetdeaux@childrenwithdiabetes.com) by Wednesday, July 16. This Young Adults Dinner is sponsored by Bayer HealthCare.

Dessert with the Faculty and Poster Session
You've just spent two full days listening to some of the very best diabetes speakers and researchers from around the world. Now is your chance to ask questions, view their research on posters, and get to meet these very special faculty. Join us for dessert and coffee in Crystal DE from 9:00 - 11:00 p.m., sponsored by Smiths Medical MD, Inc.

Saturday, July 26th

Education for Children with Diabetes Foundation Benefit Day
Join a thousand of your best CWD buddies at Universal Studios for the day! Don your conference t-shirt, make sure you have your Guest Assistance Card in your pocket, and take the provided Mears transportation straight to Universal Studios for a wonderful day in the park. Buses will run from the Renaissance to the park from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Lunch is provided from noon to 1:30 p.m. at either The Groove or The Latin Quarter (it is a BBQ menu – the same in both places); you may dine at either venue. Note that the Mears bus transportation, one-day park tickets (to either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure), lunch, and Guest Assistance Cards are provided only if you purchase the ECWDF Benefit tickets on your CWD registration. One thousand tickets are available.

Sunday, July 27th

Farewell Breakfast
Join your new friends for life for a farewell breakfast on Sunday morning from 9-10 a.m. in the Atrium, sponsored by Medtronic Diabetes.

Last Updated: Monday November 17, 2008 09:39:34
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